2017 Was A Record-Breaking Year For Skyscrapers. These 10 Countries Boast The Most Completions
Skyscraper completions broke records across the globe this year. A total of 144 buildings were completed in 2017, breaking the previous record for the fourth year in a row, according to a new report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
The number of completions have nearly doubled since 2013, when only 74 buildings over 200 meters (about 656 feet) were completed. This trend can be attributed to high-rise construction expanding out of the traditional financial and business centers and making its way into other areas of the city or even the suburbs.
“The data from 2017 shows a continuation of the trend towards a greater global proliferation of skyscraper construction. High-rise construction is no longer confined to a select few financial and business centers, but rather is becoming the accepted global model for densification as more than 1 million people on our planet urbanize each week,” CTBUH Executive Director Antony Wood said in a statement.
These are the 10 countries that completed the most tall buildings over 200 meters this year, according to CTBUH:
No. 1 China
China came out on top with the most completions of at least 200-meter buildings in 2017. The country delivered 76 skyscrapers, or 53% of the total number completed globally. This is a decline from last year, when it completed 83 buildings, 65% of the world's skyscraper activity. The city of Shenzhen alone finished 12 buildings this year, which was more than any other country on the list. Most notably, it added the Ping An Finance Center, which is now the fourth-tallest building in the world at 599 meters.
No. 2 United States
The United States came in second place by completing 10 tall buildings in 2017. New York completed a large percentage of those with four buildings over 200 meters, while Chicago completed two and Los Angeles, Houston, Philadelphia and Seattle completed one each. Included in this was the Wilshire Grand Center in L.A., which measures 335.3 meters in height and was the tallest building finished in the U.S. this year.
No. 3 South Korea
South Korea completed seven buildings including the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, which is now the fifth-tallest building in the world at 554 meters.
No. 4 Canada
Canada delivered five skyscrapers this year, the vast majority of which were in Toronto. The city has been experiencing a massive high-rise construction boom. Late in the year, Toronto’s first supertall tower, dubbed "The One," also broke ground.
No. 5 Indonesia
Indonesia completed five towers, all in the metro of Jakarta. The tallest on the list was the Menara Astra office building, which is 261.5 meters.
No. 6 United Arab Emirates
The U.A.E. completed four buildings, with Dubai finishing three this year. Each one of them is considered to be supertall. One of the towers, called Marina 101, is now the 18th tallest in the word. It stands 425 meters high.
No. 7 Turkey
Four skyscrapers were built in Turkey — three of those are in Istanbul. One other office tower was completed in the city of Izmir.
No. 8 North Korea
North Korea tied with several countries and completed four buildings more than 200 meters in height. They are all in Pyongyang, the country's capital.
No. 9 Malaysia
Malaysia completed four buildings. Three of those are in Kuala Lumpur, with the tallest being a 243-meter residential building called Setia Eco City – Vogue Suite One. Each of the four tower completions this year in Malaysia were residential.
No. 10 India
Three buildings were completed in Mumbai this year, all of India's skyscraper deliveries. Like Malaysia, all of the completions were residential buildings. The tallest is a 266-meter tower called One Avighna Park.
CORRECTION, DEC. 21, 10:58 A.M. ET: A previous version of this story incorrectly converted meters to feet. A 200 meter building is about 656 feet. The story has been updated.
